The German Judiciary Association (DRB) has welcomed the German federal government’s commitment to bolster the judicial system through a new rule of law pact, earmarking €450 million in support.
“The federal government is sending a clear signal with this initial funding of nearly half a billion euros by 2029, affirming its pledge to strengthen the judiciary as the backbone of the rule of law” stated DRB Federal Managing Director Sven Rebehn in an interview with “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. He emphasized, however, the urgency of ensuring the federal funding swiftly reaches courts and prosecutors’ offices.
A key element will be a federal-state agreement, expected this year, obligating the individual states to create additional positions for judges and prosecutors. Current shortages are particularly acute in criminal justice, with approximately 2,000 judges and prosecutors missing. Backlogs have accumulated to nearly one million unresolved cases, leading to prolonged criminal proceedings and increasingly frequent case dismissals due to investigative capacity limitations. Rebehn stressed the critical need for swift action, asserting that “the immense problems facing the judiciary cannot be delayed any further”.
